The Ten Commandments are considered “the background and foundation of Israelite law,” according to Walter Harrelson, distinguished professor of Hebrew Bible at Vanderbilt Divinity School. The tenth injunction is against coveting that which is not your own, but your neighbor’s:…
Now I believe: The cruelty really is the point
I can be slow on the uptake. Back in 2018, the journalist Adam Serwer argued that “the cruelty is the point” for Donald Trump and his supporters. “The Trump era,” Serwer wrote in The Atlantic, “is such a whirlwind of…
How would Jesus judge America?
Judgment is not my favorite subject. I’d rather speak about grace. However, I cannot deny that Jesus, at least in the memory of the Gospel writers, mentioned judgment on numerous occasions. Which has me wondering, if Jesus were to visit…
Alligator Alcatraz tourism
My wife, Lauren, told me a story once. When she was 16, her mother put her on a plane to Europe. She gave her a peck on the cheek, a few words of encouragement and a credit card. “Have fun,”…
With ‘allies’ like these, who needs adversaries?
Hosting drag shows in a church. Board members posting incendiary statements about political violence. Dismissing or scolding dissenting LGBTQ voices. Sometimes it’s “inclusive” churches that can do lasting damage to the cause of LGBTQ inclusion. I was reminded of this…
Living out the story of God
As an avid reader, a personal standard for a good book is a storyline that captures the imagination with an invitation to enter into the world-building and characters’ lives. The book should bring questions like, “Where might I fit into…
How I struggle with Christ’s command to forgive
When I reflect on the people who have hurt me the most in my life, I realize the Christian commandment of forgiveness seems beyond my strength. Sometimes I can do it, and then some days I feel a fury I cannot…
‘Once the church of presidents … now an engine of resistance’
Acknowledging a history marked by power in high places that included 54 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence and 11 presidents including George Washington, the top officer of the Episcopal Church in the United States declared the…
Crossing that Good Ol’ Baylor Line
Monday, I shared the news with my classmates at SMU’s Perkins School of Theology, where I am pursuing a master of divinity degree, that Baylor University had received a grant from the Baugh Foundation to “foster LGBTQ inclusion in churches,”…
Thin places, sacred spaces: Why our national parks matter
Driving through the fog gave the air a thickness that seemed to envelop us, to welcome us into a place that fizzled with eternity. A group of friends and I had traveled into the Cades Cove area of the Great…
Shiny Happy People season two: Teen Mania
On July 23, Prime will release its second season of Shiny Happy People, and they’ll be dragging some old bones out of the closet, including some of my bones. Back in 2008, I attended Teen Mania’s Honor Academy. If you’ve…
Attacks on Zohran Mamdani defy religious liberty
Recent events reveal some of our politicians have forgotten America was founded on religious freedom that included respect for those whose religious beliefs differ from our own. Zohran Mamdani faces a flurry of anti-Muslim attacks after his New York City…